Paraná state launches cheese award, expands flu vaccination, upgrades rail and university

The FAEP system announced the third edition of the Paraná Cheese Award and introduced a new Colonial Cheese Contest, with registrations open until 1 May 2027 and an expected 600 participants, aimed at strengthening the state's dairy sector. The Ministry of Transport plans to submit the three lots of the Malha Sul rail concession, covering lines in Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, to the Federal Court of Accounts for approval, targeting infrastructure modernization and recovery of underused sections. Starting 29 June, free influenza vaccination will be offered to all residents over six months old to boost coverage after a rise in severe respiratory cases last year. Additional state initiatives include a national gastronomy week highlighting Paraná cuisine in Brasília, an itinerant session of the Regional Electoral Court in Umuarama, a record low temperature of –3 °C in General Carneiro, a social‑control forum in Pato Branco, a R$ 24.7 million investment by Itaipu Binacional to modernize the UTFPR Medianeira campus, and the state's recognition in the fourth Information Quality Prize for transparent fiscal data reporting.